Larry Shenk, Vice President of Alumni Relations, shares his notes, quotes and anecdotes from the world of baseball.

Congrats Sammy

Tough SetbackDon’t know that I’ve ever seen a game end on two similar plays as yesterday. Tough loss, but, as Tony La Russa said after Friday night’s blow out of his Cardinals, “It only counts as one loss.”

Left on base: 15 by the Phillies. Runners in scoring position: 4 for 16. We just couldn’t get a clutch hit and that was the difference. Yet, going into yesterday, we had a .282 RISP average, tops in the NL.

He came up to the majors on August 22, 1983, from Portland, OR, and started 15 games at second base the rest of the season. John Felske, his Portland manager, reported: “Can run, throw, hit and hit with power, above average power. A very exciting player.”

Sammy’s rookie season the following year was electrifying: league-leading 19 triples and club-record 72 stolen bases. The man could flat out fly.

Home runs for a season and career and RBI for a season–by a Phillies second baseman–were Sammy’s records until some guy named Chase Utley came along. Don’t feel bad Sammy, Chase is rewriting a lot of Phillies records. Samuel had 80 extra-bases hits in 1987, a record for a Phillies second baseman. Chase is still chasing that one.

Off the field, Sammy is as likeable as anyone I’ve been around. He always seemed to be upbeat, even when we tried to move him from second base to centerfield. Well, maybe he wasn’t so upbeat then. He has a very infectious smile, one that comes often and easily.

A coach with the Orioles, Baltimore has given him permission to be at Citizens Bank Park on August 8 for the induction ceremonies. You’ll see that smile again. Look close, maybe a tear or two.

Minor League NotesLHP Antonio Bastardo (Reading) has been placed on the DL with a left shoulder inflammation . . . RHP Andrew Carpenter (Clearwater) has been reinstated from the DL . . . 1B Michael Durant (Lakewood) is also back from the DL.

This DateIn Phillies history….1997 Phillies lose, 5-4, to Red Sox at Fenway Park, the club’s first interleague road game; last time Phillies played at Fenway was in an exhibition game, 4/14/57.

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i had the opportunity to walk sammy’s mom to the clubhouse after she watched sammy play for the first time at the vet.

later that summer,on a west coast trip,sammy noticed me waiting in the lobby in san diego for a mutual friend…sammy was on his way out to dinner with several players,but still volunteered to wait with me instead…i turned him down(after all i was 15 years his seniopr) ,but it was nice to know he remembered what had happened at the vet months before.

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